Quebec election leaders debate spending scandals

During the first of three televised leaders' debates in the Quebec election campaign, Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leader Christine Fréchette faced intense criticism from opposition parties regarding government spending and fiscal management.

Opposition leaders, including Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of the Parti Québécois and Charles Milliard of the Liberal Party, accused the CAQ of wasting public funds. Specifically, the PQ leader cited projects such as Northvolt and Nemaska, while the Liberals questioned the CAQ's economic record following a credit rating downgrade by Standard & Poor’s.

A major point of contention involves a reported cost overrun at Santé Québec, where an information technology project's budget reportedly escalated from approximately $96 million to nearly $1 billion. Opposition members compared this to the previous SAAQclic digital transformation controversy, with Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime describing the situation as a fiasco.

In response, Fréchette defended her team, stating that the PQ's financial framework is unsustainable and noting that she represents a renewed team focused on stability and predictability rather than a referendum.